The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-06-22
Religious Conventions.

president, Colonel John Il. Mead the vice
president, Rev. G. Q. McIntire of Pittsford,
presided. Rev. G. II. Smith of Warren was
chosen scribe and Rev. w i. Anderson of
Stowe assistant scribe. Deacon G.. NJ.
Sykes of Dorset was chosen auditor. The
committee on the Vermont Chronicle re-
ported and practical suggestions were made
! looking to larger circulation and fuller
contribution to its columns. The report on
| Sunday-school work showed 200 schools and
%, OBS scholars. Rev G. S. Smith of Mont
peler reported for the committee on divorce
and the family. Rev. +. w. Olmstead of
Bridport urged pressure upon the legis-
lature to increase the legal restraints upon
reckless and improper marriage. II was
voted to continue committee upon this
subject In the evening the convention
sermon was delivered by Rev. j. A. Mac
Coll of st. Adams from Hebrews xii: IL.
- AT the Wednesday morning session
the treasurer of the Fairbanks fund reported
that seven benefciaries had been aided
during the year to the amount of LOO.
Balance in the treasury, S6g3.71 Amount
of funds in the possession of trustees, S16,-
900 The report of the Fairbanks Board of
Education showed that fourteen students
had been aided during the year to the
amount of 500 Entire funds, $1,000. Then
followed a service conducted by Hon. ID. NJ.
Camp of Newport. Rev. c. s. Smith gave
an account Of the work by Dr. Pentecost at
Montpelier. AT the meeting of the Yer
mont Domestic Missionary Society the sec
rotary, Rev. G.. S. Smith, showed the pres
ent Indebtedness of the society to be So
$685.. The causes that had led to this debt
were thought to be the falling off of legaces
and the increased amounts sent directly to
the American Home Missionary Society in
New York. Rev. George W. Phillips advo-
Gated the recommendations of the secretary
in regard to evangelistic work. In the
afternoon Rev. A. w. Wild, corresponding
secretary, presented report. The neurology
OF the closing year records the following
names of ministers: Joseph b. Baldwin,
James Buckham, Rufus Case, Edward
Cleveland, Daniel ID. Dodge, Stephen l..
Herrick, Edward T. Hooker Samuel Hop
kins, ID D., Seth II. Keller, DID,. Gurdon
w. Noyes, John III. Pettengill, Truman NJ
Post, ID, Hollis Read, Lucius L. Tilden,
Charles p. Watson S. II, Williams and John
II. Woodward The average age of these
men was seventy-six years and nine months.
| The average length of ministerial service
was forty-tive years and seven months.
! The year has been notable for ministerial
! changes. Fifteen churches have exchanged
the services of one minister for those of
another, Eleven reported vacant last year
| now have ministers; twenty-three have be-
come vacant. Eight pastors have been dis
missed; eight have been installed. OF the
! 19S churches, tifty-two have settled pastors
| us have acting pastors or stated supply and
! twenty-eight are without regular supply.
During the year the additions to the
churches upon confession of faith have been
| LIB; by letter 494; removals by death,
391; by dismission, JOB, and by discipline,
$50. The net gain has been $50 The year
! has been marked by an unprecedented
amount of evangelistic work among the
churches. The year has been a prosperous
one with the Sunday-school, showing an
increase in numbers and better work
The benevolent contributions have reached
the sum of Sj5,51564, not equaled since 1882.
Rev Henry Fairbanks and others spoke on
county evangelization. The finance COM
mittee reported that the General Convention
| is in arrears to the National Council to the
amount of S6S9.72 A meeting was held by
the Vermont Branch of the Woman's Board,
at which Rev. DIR. Halves and Rev n G.
Clark, D., made addresses and another
meeting in the interest of the Mcintosh
School, which was addressed by Miss Eliza
beth Plimpton, principal of the school, and
others. In the evening Rev L. III. Elliot
spoke in behalf of the Vermont Bible So
ciety. Rev. DR.. Woodwork of Boston
spoke for the freedmen, Chinese, Indians
and poor whites of the South. Rev. DIR. n.
G.. Clark spoke for the American Education
Society, Rev. DR.. Dunning for the Sunday
school and Publishing Society and Rev.
Stewart Sheldon of Dakota for the Congre-
gational Union for building churches and
! parsonages. - AT the closing session,
| Thursday morning, a suggestive paper upon
the topic, Children and the Church." was
read by Rev. c. II. Smith of Warren. Offi-
| GERS and committees We're chosen, among
| them the following: President, Rev. Edward
! Hawes 3D.. vice-president Hon. Roswell
! Farnham; secretary, Rev. c. H. Merrill;
| treasurer, j. c. Emery; trustees, Rev. Henry
| Fairbanks, Ph.D., Hon. j. A. Page, Rev. A.
Stevens, DID,, j. w. Hickok ID. NJ. Camp.
THE ninety-seventh annual convention of
the Protestant Episcopal Church of Vermont
! opened in Burlington June l4th. The pro-
ceedings opened with evening prayer and
sermon by Rev w. II, Collins of Brattleboro
! from Zechariah viii: 10. - Wednesday
morning the convention organized by the
reelection of I. III. Garfield, Esq, as secre-
! tary and f. l.. Temple of Rutland as treas
urer. Rev. Dr. A. H. Bailey of Sheldon was
reelected registrar and Colonel F. Il.
| Smith OF Montpelier was reappointed as
sstant secretary. The roll of clerical and
lay delegates was then read, thirty-three
ministers and large proportion of the lay
delegates answering to their names. The
standing committee of the diocese presented
their report, showing that five candidates
were recommended for holy orders during
the past year. The convention sermon was
preached by Rev. Thomas Burgess, rector
of st. Luke's church, st. Adams, who took
his text from Revelation V; 10. Bishop Bis
sell delivered his annual sermon in the
afternoon and made the usual report of his
official acts and services during the past con-
ventional year, from which it appears that
he has preached eighty-one sermons and
| confirmed 263 persons. During this period
he licensed five lay readers and received
! five applications for holy orders. One new
church was consecrated last year at Shell
burne and a new church was built at Fair
Haven The bishop reported that the mis-
sons of the church have been carried on
quite successfully during the year and that
| eighty-nine persons were confirmed at the
various missionary stations in the state.
| The report of the trustees of the fund for
aged and intirm clergymen shows that the
fund now amounts to SS,S50.63. Various
official elections were effected as follows:
Colonel lie Grand Il. Cannon and Dr. w. S.
Webb were made additional trustees of the
Vermont Episcopal Institute. Elijah D.
Blodgett of St. Johnsbury was reelected
trustee of the diocese of Vermont for the
term expiring in 1894. A. p. Cross of ST.
Adams was elected one of the trustees of
the fund for aged and intirm cergymen, to
succeed Mr. j. A. Fitch of Highgate 1t
was voted, on motion of Mr.. Hiram Atkins
to hold the next annual convention in
Christ church, Montpelier, on the first
Wednesday in June, 1888, that day being the
twentieth anniversary of the conservation
of Christ church. The following day will be
the twentieth anniversary of the consecra-
ton of Bishop Bissell. Meetings We're held
| by the Womans Auxiliary and the trustees
of the Vermont Episcopal Institute. The
! fund for new school for girls at Rock
Point now amounts to S62 600, of which
$4,000 was given by the late John p. How
ard. AT the missionary meeting in the even
ing the committee reported, through Rev